It is often desirable to train an animal, particularly a pet, in various ways, particularly to inhibit movement of the animal through a barrier region. One currently marketed prior art system is disclosed by Peck, U.S. Pat. No. 3,753,421 wherein a signal emitting wire defines a barrier region; a similar system is disclosed by Yarnall et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,633. In both of these systems, the animal whose movement is to be inhibited relative to the barrier region is equipped with a collar including a receiver responsive to a field derived from the wire. In response to the animal coming into the barrier region, where the wire is located, the receiver picks up a magnetic induction field transmitted from the wire, to trigger a circuit in the receiver to administer an electric shock to the animal. In use, the Peck et al. and Yarnall et al. systems usually involve the considerable expense of installing a subterranean wire. An expensive buried wire installation is necessary for urban and suburban situations because of the possible danger to humans in contacting an above ground wire having a considerable current flowing through it. The buried wire is a practical necessity because an above ground wire tends to become short circuited to ground by contact with plants and grasses.
Another system for inhibiting movement of an animal, particularly a pet, into and/or through a barrier region is disclosed by Fury, U.S. Pat. No. 3,980,051 wherein a trainer is provided with a first ultrasonic pulse transceiver and a second ultrasonic transceiver is worn by the animal. An ultrasonic pulse from the first transceiver is transmitted to the second transceiver. In response to the second transceiver receiving a pulse from the first transceiver, the second transceiver transmits a corresponding pulse back to the first transceiver. Round-trip transit time of the ultrasonic pulses from the first transceiver to the second transceiver and back to the first transceiver is measured at the first transceiver. In response to the round-trip transit time exceeding a predetermined duration, associated with the animal entering the barrier region, the first transceiver transmits an animal whistle sound. The animal whistle sound is designed to inhibit movement of the animal through the barrier region. A problem with the Fury system is that it is not well suited to confining an animal to a designated area because the transit time to one portion of the barrier region is likely to differ from the transit time to another portion of the barrier region. In addition, the whistle sound may be ineffective because it is transmitted from the first transceiver over a substantial distance to the pet.
In the co-pending, commonly assigned and invented application entitled "Method of and Apparatus for Training an Animal," Ser. No. 08/002,486, filed Jan. 8, 1993, there is disclosed a device for deterring entry of an animal into a barrier region. The device disclosed in the co-pending application is particularly adapted for indoor situations wherein the animal is deterred from entering a barrier region in close proximity to a housing emitting an inductive magnetic field. The animal wears a collar having mounted thereon a housing with a coil responsive to the inductive magnetic field. In response to the inductive magnetic field being incident on the coil and being detected by electronic circuitry in the housing, an acoustic signal is coupled back to the housing which originally emitted the magnetic induction field. The housing which emitted the induction magnetic field responds to the compressional wave coupled to it to emit an acoustic click which is heard by the animal and deters entry of the animal into proximity with the housing. While this prior art system functions admirably for its desired purpose, it is not suitable for long-range situations, such as for deterring entry of an animal into a designated outside barrier region.
It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved method of and apparatus for training an animal, and particularly to training an animal so entry of the animal into a barrier region is deterred.
Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved method of and apparatus for deterring entry of an animal into a designated outdoor barrier region, which apparatus is relatively inexpensive and uses above ground radiant energy wave beam sources.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved method of and apparatus for deterring entry of an animal into a designated region by utilizing plural compressional wave energy sources in housings on posts easily driven into the ground at plural relatively distantly spaced locations, to minimize costs associated with installation and maintenance of the apparatus.